歴然

• Reading: れきぜん
• Romaji: rekizen
• Kanji breakdown: 歴 (reki) — successive, clear | 然 (zen) — evident, in that state
• Pronunciation: /ɾe.ki.zeɴ/

Meaning

Clear; obvious; evident; unmistakable. Describes something so plainly visible or apparent that no reasonable doubt remains.

A taru-adjective and adverb. Common patterns include 歴然としている (it is evident), 歴然たる差 (an unmistakable difference), and 歴然と示す (to demonstrate clearly). Unlike simply 明らか (obvious), 歴然 carries a stronger sense of the fact being undeniably established — often with the subtext that something has been conclusively demonstrated by evidence or results. Frequently appears in academic writing, legal discourse, and analytical journalism.

Examples

1. 実力の差が歴然としており、試合は序盤から勝負がついていた。 The gap in ability was obvious, and the outcome of the match was decided from the very start.
2. 両者の成果には歴然たる開きがあり、客観的な評価は自明だった。 There was an unmistakable disparity between the two parties' results, making an objective assessment self-evident.
3. 調査結果が歴然と示す通り、環境への負荷は年々増加している。 As the survey results clearly show, the environmental burden has been increasing year after year.

Usage Guide

Context: academic writing, legal discourse, journalism, analytical commentary

Tone: conclusive

Origin & History

Compound of 歴 (reki — successive, clear) and 然 (zen/nen — thus, evident). 歴 here carries the sense of things laid out in order, one after another — hence clearly visible. 然 is a common Chinese rhetorical suffix denoting the state described.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated